A challenging climate: the big conversation
Weather and climate change are always hot topics for conversation — there’s discussion about every aspect of what we and others do in this field from our one-day UK weather forecasts to projections of the global climate a century ahead.
This week the Met Office held a high-profile conference in London to tackle some of the big issues around weather and climate change. Held on 27 January, it was attended by a huge range of speakers, including politicians, senior environmental journalists, company chief executives, government planners and policy makers, representatives from the banking and insurance sectors, a mountaineer, and Met Office staff.
Designed around a series of presentations, panel discussions, and workshops, the event looked at a range of topics, including:
- What’s the best way to communicate complicated issues and science around weather and climate change?
- How is the UK dealing with severe weather and a changing climate?
- What can businesses do to harness the potential of climate science?
- How can we best manage the effects of weather and climate change on our cities?
- What are the challenges we face in tackling climate change?
John Hirst, Chief Executive of the Met Office, said: “Weather and climate change are inseparable — climate change determines the weather of tomorrow. We need to understand the risks and opportunities of the weather we face today and in the future. As the only institute in the world that has weather and climate science in the same house, the Met Office is ideally positioned to start the conversation on these issues, which inevitably affect us all.”
Among the topics discussed was the importance of climate science to many business sectors. For example, Rowan Douglas, Managing Director of Willis Analytics for Willis Re, explained how seasonal forecasts for tropical storms through to long-term climate predictions for the future were becoming essential for insurance companies.
He said: “The work of the Met Office is becoming more and more important… more than half the risk we cover is from natural causes like the weather. We have to model that risk, so we come to people like the Met Office… the UK has very few crown jewels left, but our public science is unique and in climate and weather modelling it’s by far the leading player in the world. We must nurture and protect this because it allows us to lead the way in this hugely important area.”
Lord Selborne, Chair of Living with Environmental Change, talked about the importance of developing long-term strategies that consider the inevitable changes in our climate. He said: “I have to pay tribute to the role the Met Office is playing in predictive climate science. It’s playing a central role in the scientific community in developing climate modelling because, unless we can understand the risks involved, we can’t make the right decisions or strategies for a sustainable future.”
You can read more in-depth about some of the topics under discussion in the articles below:
The challenges of communicating climate change
Managing weather hazards today and in the future
It is hoped this conference will be the first of many to bring together key stakeholders from across government, business, and other organisations for discussions on these fundamental issues. By working together to take forward this conversation we can really enhance the services we provide to save lives, increase efficiency, and inform strategy for the future.
